Burden carrying aid



April 25, 1955 D. J. ADAMS BURDEN CARRYING AID Filed Nov. 16, 1950 INVENTOR. 0542502 :7. 404415,

firraemzn United States Patent BURDEN CARRYING AID Dearborn J. Adams, El Monte, Calif.

Application November 16, 1950, Serial No. 196,046

2 Claims. (Cl. 224-) This invention relates to devices which assist a person in carrying relatively heavy objects such as suitcases or other articles of luggage.

An object of the present invention is to provide a device capable of affording convenience to a person carrying a burden by hand, by being interposed between the persons body and the arm by which the luggage is supported, and thereby holding the arm laterally outward away from the body far enough to insure that the article being carried will not encounter the persons legs and thus interfere with his walking.

A more detailed object is to provide, in a device of the character described, means for attaching the device securely to the persons forearm in such a manner that when the arm assumes a natural position with the article being carried suspended freely from the hand, the device will automatically be disposed in a position extending from the arm to the persons side, wherein it is best suited to support the arm at the optimum spacing from the persons body to afford the greatest convenience by enabling the carrier to support and transport the burden with the least possible muscular effort.

A further object in this connection is to fashion the device in such a manner that a concavity or recess is pres ent in that end thereof which bears against the side of the carriers body, into which either the convexly curved hip or the resiliently yielding flesh immediately above the hip will protrude when the inner end of the device is pressed thereagainst, in such a manner as to add to the security with which the device remains in position while it is being employed in the performance of its intended functions.

Another object of my present invention is to provide means for conveniently supporting the device while it is not being used as an aid in carrying, as from the handle of an article of luggage which has been or which is about to be carried with the assistance of the device, or from a persons belt.

Yet another object of my invention is to provide a device of the general character indicated, which is of an exceedingly simple nature, adapted to be constructed in its entirety at a very small cost and from readily available and highly inexpensive materials, which can be worn without any discomfort by the user, and which is highly efficient in carrying out the functions for which it is intended.

The invention possesses other objects and features of advantage, some of which, with the foregoing, will be set forth in the following description of the preferred form of my invention which is illustrated in the drawings accompanying and forming part of the specification. It is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the showing made by the said drawings and description, as I may adopt variations of the preferred form Within the scope of myinvention as set forth in the claims.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view illustrating the manner of use of the device of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a View similar to Figure 1, but illustrating the manner in which the device can be attached to a per sons belt when it is not in use;

Figure 3 is a view, drawn in enlarged scale, in longitudinal medial section of the device; and

Figure 4 is a transverse sectional view, the plane of section being indicated by the line 4-4 of Figure 3 and the direction of view by the arrows.

In terms of broad inclusion, the device of the present ice invention may be attached to a persons forearm in such a position that when the arm hangs substantially in a vertical plane from the shoulder, the device will extend horizontally from the arm to the persons hip or a point immediately above the hip bone and thereby serve as a spacing element to hold the arm laterally outwards away from the body and thereby provide ample space between the persons legs and a burden carried by that same arm, and thus permit the person to walk without interference from the article being carried. Consequently, the device is adapted to offer a very substantial degree of convenience to persons such as porters, traveling salesmen, bellboys, and others whose duties require them to carry relatively heavy articles, such as pieces of luggage, while walking. And here it should be mentioned that where the device has been referred to throughout the specification as being intended for use in carrying such articles as luggage, there is no intention of limiting the device for use while carrying any specific type of burden. In fact, the device of the present invention would prove to be of substantial benefit to the military forces by assisting in the carrying of such articles as machine guns, ammunition, and the like, particularly when traversing rough and overgrown terrain.

Specifically describing the device of the present invention and referring first to Figures 3 and 4, the article for assisting in hand-carrying a relatively heavy burden comprises a body portion indicated in its entirety at 6 and made up preferably of a flat sheet of flexible or semiflexible material such as leather, cardboard, plastic, or the like. This sheet is rolled to cylindrical form to provide a tube or cylinder 7 which, due to its cylindrical form, is possessed of an adequate degree of longitudinal rigidity to cause the cylinder 7 to retain its shape even when subjected to a substantial degree of pressure exerted against one of its ends and in a direction substantially parallel to its axis.

The cylinder 7 is opened at its inner end 8, thus providing a recess at that end, the function of which will be described in detail hereinbelowv At its other or outer end 9, however, the cylinder 7 is closed by a sheet 11 of fairly flexible material such as preferably a thinner sheet of leather, extending thereacross and secured in position upon the end 9 of the cylinder as by a line of stitching 12 extending through the edge portions 13 of the sheet 11, which are flexed into contact with preferably the outer surface of the cylinder 7. That portion of the covering sheet 11 which is spaced inwardly from the walls of the cylinder 7 is bowed outwardly as indicated at 14 to present a convex outer surface, this configuration being resiliently retained by padding material 16 under compression between the inner surface of the central portion of the sheet 11 and a supplementary sheet 17 secured as by lines 18 of stitching to the inner surface of the sheet 11 in a substantially circular line closely adjacent the line of contact between the end 9 of the cylinder 7 and the sheet 11.

Means are provided for releasably attaching the body portion 6 to the forearm 21 of a person 22 in such position that the cushioned sheet 11 at the outer end 9 of the cylinder 7 makes contact with the inner surface of the forearm 21 with the body portion 6 extending substantially horizontal and laterally inwards toward the persons side, as illustrated in Figure 1. This attaching; means preferably comprises a strap 26 attached as by lines of stitching 27 to one side of the cylinder 7 and extending from its point of attachment toward the outer end 9 of the cylinder and therebeyond for a sufficient length to provide for a loop 28 adapted to encircle the wearers forearm 21 and return therefrom through a buckle 29 or other suitable releasable fastening device to the opposite side of the cylinder 7. The buckle 29 is attached by means of a preferably double strap 31 in proper position upon the side opposite the side of,the cylinder 7 to receive the strap 26 therethrough, the double strap 31 being secured to the cylinder as by lines of stitching 32. Associated with the buckle-carrying strap 31 are preferably a pair of strapreceiving loops 33 and 34; and the free end 36 of the strap 26 is preferably of such length that it is adapted to extend from the arm-engaging loop 28 through the buckle 29 and therebeyond past the inner end 8 of the cylinder 7 and there to form a loop 37 with the extreme end 38 of the strap 26 inserted into the loop 34 nearer the inner end 8 of the cylinder 7, as illustrated in Figure 3. I also prefer to provide another strap-receiving loop 41 substantially diametrically opposite the loop 34. A convenient location for the last mentioned loop 41 is at the point of attachment of the fixed end of the strap 26 to the cylinder 7.

The loop 37 provides a convenient means for securing the device to the belt 42 of the person 22 when it is not desired to use the device as an assistance in carrying a burden. The end 38 of the strap 26 can be passed under the belt 42, as illustrated in Figure 2, and then inserted into either the loop 34 or the loop 41 within which the strap 26 fits so tightly that it will remain engaged with the loop until intentionally removed therefrom. Optionally, the device can be suspended from the handle of a suitcase or otherwise attached to the burden which has been or which is about to be carried with the assistance of the device.

However, when it is desired to use the device as an aid in carrying a burden such as a suitcase 43, it should be released from the belt 42 or whatever object the loop 37' might be engaged with and the loop 28 should be enlarged by sliding the strap 26 outwards through the buckle 29 far enough to enable the arm to slip the loop 28 over the forearm 21 after which the strap should be tightened to make the loop 28 fit the forearm rather closely and yet not too tightly to be comfortable and the strap then reengaged with the buckle 29 to retain it in selected degree of adjustment. Thereafter it probably will not be necessary to alter the adjustment of the strap 26 with respect to the buckle 29 unless it is to be used by another person having a larger or smaller forearm.

The loop 28 should be engaged upon the forearm 21 just below the elbow 44 and with the cushioned sheet 11 at the outer end of the cylinder 7 engaging the inner surface of the forearm, as illustrated in Figure 1. This will cause the body portion 6 of the device to extend horizontally inward from the arm to the persons side, bringing the open inner end 8 of the cylinder 7 into contact with the persons side either with the convexly rounded hip extending into the concavity or pocket presented by the cylinders open end 8, or, if engaged against the side above the hip bone, the relatively yielding and yet resilient flesh immediately above the hip bone will protrude for a short distance through the open end 8 into the cylinders interior, as indicated in broken lines at 46 in Figure 1. This manner of engagement between the open inner end of the cylinder 7 and the persons side will add to the security with which it remains in position while in use and avoids the necessity of the persons exercising any effort in retaining the device securely in that position in which it affords the greatest convenience and comfort.

Postioned in the manner described, extending laterally between the arm and the persons side, the body portion 6 serves to hold the persons arm laterally outwards away from the body so that the burden 43 will hang free of the persons legs and thus permit him to walk without any interference between the burden and his walking movements. The device therefore avoids the necessity of exercising any muscular efiort whatever in supporting a burden, other than that required to hold the fingers 47 curved around the handle 48 of the burden 43. The arm will hang freely in suspension from the shoulder and, being perfectly straight, requires no muscular activity to retain it in that position in which it most comfortably supports the weight of the burden 43; and the device of the present invention avoids the necessity of using any shoulder muscles to hold the arm outwards from the side of the body far enough for the burden 43 to clear the legs.

It is evident, therefore, that even relatively heavy burden can be carried for long distances and over hilly, uneven and overgrown terrain with a minimum of fatigue and a maximum of physical comfort.

I claim:

1. As a new article of manufacture, a device for assisting the hand-carrying of a burden by holding the carriers arm and hand spaced laterally away from the carriers body, said device comprising a longitudinally rigid cylinder open at one end to provide a recess into which a portion of said carriers person is adapted to protrude when said end is pressed against said carriers side whereby said end of said cylinder is immobilized against lateral displacement, a sheet of flexible material stretched across the other end of said cylinder, cushion means carried by said sheet, and means for attaching said cylinder to said carriers forearm with said cushion means engaging the same and with said cylinder extending therefrom toward said carriers side whereby a downward pull on said forearm presses said open end of said cylinder against said carriers side.

2. As a new article of manufacture, a device for assisting the hand-carrying of a burden by holding the carrier's arm and hand spaced laterally away from the carriers body, said device comprising a body portion having a recess at one end thereof into which a portion of said carriers person is adapted to protrude when said end is .pressed against said carriers side whereby said end of said cylinder is immobilized against lateral displacement, a strap secured to one side of said body portion and extending from its point of attachment toward the other end of said body portion and therebeyond with sufficient length to extend in a loop around said carriers forearm and back to the other side of said body portion and thence in a second loop beyond said first-mentioned end of said body portion and back to a side of said body portion, means for releasably attaching a portion of said strap between said loops to said body portion, and means for releasably attaching a portion of said strap beyond said second loop to said body portion.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 46,365 Kinman Feb. 14, 1865 2,212,635 Deer Aug. 27, 1940 2,474,050 Harris June 21, 1949 2,579,701 Ridey et al. Dec. 25, 1951 

